וְהָיָה כְּקָרָבְכֶם אֶל הַמִּלְחָמָה וְנִגַּשׁ הַכֹּהֵן וְדִבֶּר אֶל הָעָם. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר, וְנִגְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי (דברים כא, ה). וְכָל הַמְשַׁמֵּשׁ לַמֶּלֶךְ, גּוֹזֵר עָלָיו וְהוּא עוֹשֶׂה גְּזֵרָתוֹ. וְהַלְוִיִּם מְשַׁמְּשִׁין לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְעוֹשִׂין גְּזֵרוֹתָיו. חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ אַל תִּירְאוּ וְאַל תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם (שם לא, ו). וְלָמָּה, כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּךְ לֹא יַרְפְּךָ וְלֹא יַעַזְבֶךָּ (שם). אֵינוֹ מַנִּיחֲךָ, וְהוּא יוֹצֵא לְפָנֶיךָ וְעוֹשֶׂה מִלְחָמָה. וְכֵן דְּבוֹרָה אוֹמֶרֶת לְבָרָק, קוּם כִּי זֶה הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן ה' אֶת סִיסְרָא בְּיָדֶךָ הֲלֹא ה' יָצָא לְפָנֶיךָ (שופטים ד, יד). וּבָרָק אָמַר לָהּ: אִם תֵּלְכִי עִמִּי וְהָלַכְתִּי (שם פסוק ח). אָמְרָה לוֹ: וְלִי אַתָּה צָרִיךְ, הֲלֹא ה' יָצָא לְפָנֶיךָ. מֶלֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם עֲבָדָיו וְחֵילוֹתָיו יוֹצְאִין לַמִּלְחָמָה וְהוּא אַחֲרֵיהֶם. וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ כֵן, אֶלָּא הוּא קוֹדְמָן. וְכֵן בְּדָוִד כְּתִיב: לֹא תַעֲלֶה וְגוֹ', וּבָאתָ לָהֶם מִמּוּל בְּכָאִים, וַיְהִי בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ אֶת קוֹל צְעָדָה בְּרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים אָז תֶּחֱרָץ (ש״‎ב ה, כג-כד), שֶׁהֵם מְלֵאִים קוֹצִים. וְלָמָּה נִגְלָה עֲלֵיהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵרָאשֵׁי הַבְּכָאִים. שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּצָרָה. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה, זֶהוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עִמּוֹ אָנֹכִי בְּצָרָה (תהלים צא, טו), כִּי אָז יָצָא ה' לְפָנֶיךָ לְהַכּוֹת בְּמַחֲנֵה פְּלִשְׁתִּים (ש״‎ב ה, כד). הֱוֵי, כִּי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הַהוֹלֵךְ עִמָּךְ. וְלָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְיָצָא ה' וְנִלְחַם בַּגּוֹיִם הָהֵם כְּיוֹם הִלָּחֲמוֹ בְּיוֹם קְרָב (זכריה יד, ג). כָּךְ דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי תַּנְחוּמָא בַּר אַבָּא. And when you approach the battle, the priest shall come forward and address the people (Deuteronomy 20:2): And so [too] does it state (Deuteronomy 21:5) "The priests, the Sons of Levi, shall come forward." And [regarding] anyone who serves the king, when the king makes a decree, he carries out his decree. And the Levites serve the Holy One, blessed be He, and carry out His decrees. "Be strong and resolute, be not in fear or in dread in front of them" (Deuteronomy 31:6). And why? "For the Lord your God Himself marches with you; He will not fail you or forsake you." He does not leave you, and He goes forth in front of you and makes war. And so Deborah says to Barak, "Rise, this is the day on which the Lord will deliver Sisera into your hands; is not the Lord going forth before you" (Judges 4:14). But Barak said to her (Judges 4:8), "If you go with me, I shall go." [So] she said to him, "Do you need me, 'is not the Lord going forth before you?'" [In the case of] a king of flesh and blood, his servants and his troops go forth to war and he is behind them. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like this, but rather He is first. And so is it written with David (II Samuel 5:23-24), "Do not go up, etc. but confront them at the baca trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the baca trees, then go into action." As they are full of thorns. And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal himself from the tops of the baca trees? Because Israel was in distress. Rabbi Berakhia said, "This is that which is stated, 'I am with him in distress'" (Psalms 91:15). "For the Lord will be going in front of you to attack within the Philistine camp." Hence, "For the Lord your God Himself marches with you." And in the world to come, "Then the Lord will come forth and make war on those nations as He is wont to make war on a day of battle" (Zechariah 14:3). So did Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba expound.